• Ceiling fans
The ceiling fans create airflow, one effect of which is to circulate
the air that has been heated or cooled through contact with the
slab.
• Hot water system
Water in the hot water system is heated using a heat pump. The
heat pump operates during the day when the solar panels are gen-
erating.
• Water tanks
They collect stormwater from the roof for uses such as flushing toi-
lets and watering the garden, where potable water is not required.
• Air conditioning
There is no air conditioning.
Our experience so far
We moved into the new house in early December 2019. On the hottest
days of December and January, the temperature inside the house
reached a maximum of 26.5 degrees Celsius. The overnight tempera-
tures in the house were low enough to sleep comfortably. The ceiling
fans helped with the cooling effect of circulated air. Over this period, the
hydronic cooling was turned on only when the solar panels were gener-
ating, including on the hottest days. We do not think that we need air
conditioning to remain comfortably cool during hot weather. Our elec-
tricity bill for the period was negative. That is, the electricity retailer paid
us for the excess electricity we fed into the grid. We are yet to experi-
ence living in the house during the cooler seasons, but we expect it to
be a vast improvement on our old house.
- John and Lynda Dyer
Carbon Action Project
18
1 March 2020